1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to ophthalmic devices, and more particularly to apparatus that aids in dispensing liquid into the eye.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to drop medicated liquids into the eye. The eyedrops may be applied for a variety of reasons ranging from merely cleaning the eyeball surface to treating serious eye diseases.
Generally, the eyedrops are contained in a soft bottle having a tip with a small opening. Holding the bottle with the tip pointing downwardly and squeezing the bottle sides causes the liquid to be expelled as individual drops or as a thin stream.
A person normally administers eyedrops to himself. To do so, he must tilt his head back, position the bottle tip vertically above the open eye, and gently squeeze the bottle. Although the procedure is simple in theory, in practice it is subject to several common and annoying problems. For one thing, the great sensitivity of the eyelid to contact by external objects makes it imperative that the bottle tip not contact an eyelash as the bottle is being squeezed, because the eye will then inadvertently close, and the drops will not fall properly into the eye. The user must also be very careful not to permit the bottle tip to touch his eyeball. Another problem is the difficulty of properly positioning the bottle tip in vertical alignment with the eye so that the drops fall properly into it. In addition, even if the bottle tip is properly positioned for dispensing drops, normal blinking action can occur just as the person squeezes the bottle such that the liquid falls on the exterior of the eyelid and is wasted.
To overcome one or more of the foregoing problems, various eyedrop dispensing devices have been developed. For example, French Patent No. 45,304 describes a combination eyelid opener and liquid holding bottle. The eyelid opener has pads on the ends of hinged levers. The bottle is held between the levers. Placing the pads on respective closed eyelids and drawing the distal ends of the levers together simultaneously opens the eyelids and squeezes the bottle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,096 and German Patent No. 594,860 show dispensers generally similar to that of the French Patent No. 45,304 in that squeezing pivotable levers simultaneously opens the eyelids and dispenses a drop of medicated liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,608 describes lever like apparatus for opening the eyelids and enabling a steady stream of liquid to wash the eye for extended times. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,792,334 and 4,946,452 show apparatus that can further open an opened eyelid to expose an ocular cul de sac. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,598,121 and 4,605,398 teach dispensers that have limited capability of opening an eyelid and that are supported on the eyelid for properly positioning a bottle tip. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,920,624; 3,016,898; 3,058,466; 3,934,590; 4,531,944; and 4,685,906 show various eyedrop dispensers that guide dropper bottles on the eyelid but that do not have any capabilities of opening an eyelid or of holding an eyelid open. The device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,016,898 patent is screwable onto a eyedrop bottle.
U.S Pat. No. 4,085,750 shows various embodiments of eyedrop bottle attachment in which flexible arms may be squeezed together and placed on a closed eyelid. Upon releasing the arms, their flexural strength restores them to their normal dispositions to force the eyelids apart and simultaneously guide a bottle over the eye.
Despite the variety of eyedrop dispensing aids that are presently available, there nevertheless exists a need for further development.